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{{short description|Egyptian political party}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Al-Nour Party
| native_name = حزب النور
| native_name_lang = ar
| logo =
| leader1_title = Chairperson
| leader1_name = [[Younes Makhioun]]<ref>{{Cite news|title=UPDATED: Egypt's Salafist Nour Party elects new leader|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/62098/Egypt/Politics-/UPDATED-Egypts-Salafist-Nour-Party-elects-new-lead.aspx|agency=Ahram Online|date=9 January 2013|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref>
| slogan = Identity and Modern state<br />({{lang-ar|هوية و دولة عصرية}})
| foundation = {{start date|2011|5|12|df=y}}
| newspaper = The New Light
| headquarters = 601 Horrya Way, [[Zezenia]], [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]]
| ideology = [[Salafi movement|Salafi]] [[Islamism]]<br />[[Wahhabism]]<br />[[Madkhalism]]
| position = [[Far-right politics|Far-right]]
| colours = {{Color box|#0091D4||border=darkgray}}{{Color box|#FF0000|border=darkgray}}{{Color box|#FFFFFF|border=darkgray}} [[Blue]], [[red]], [[white]]
| seats1_title = [[House of Representatives (Egypt)|House of Representatives]]
| seats1 = {{Composition bar|7|596|hex={{party color|Al-Nour Party}}}}
| colorcode = {{party color|Al-Nour Party}}
| website = {{url|http://www.alnourpartyeg.com}}
| country = Egypt
}}

The '''al‑Nour Party'''({{lang-ar-at|حزب النور|Ḥizb an-Nūr}}), or "'''Party of The Light'''", is one of the [[List of political parties in Egypt|political parties]] created in [[Egypt]] after the [[2011 Egyptian Revolution]]. It has an ultra-conservative [[Islamism|Islamist]] ideology, which believes in implementing strict [[Sharia]] law. It has been described as the political arm of the [[Salafist Call|Salafi Call Society]],<ref name=Ashour>{{cite web|author=Omar Ashour|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Commentary/2012/Jan-06/159027-the-unexpected-rise-of-salafists-has-complicated-egyptian-politics.ashx|title=The unexpected rise of Salafists has complicated Egyptian politics|work=The Daily Star|date=6 January 2012|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref> and "by far the most prominent" of the several new [[Salafi]] parties in Egypt,<ref name=Brown>{{cite web|author=Jonathan Brown|url=http://carnegieendowment.org/2011/12/20/salafis-and-sufis-in-egypt/8fj4|title=Salafis and Sufis in Egypt|publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace|date=20 December 2011|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref> which it has surpassed by virtue of its "long organizational and administrative experience" and "charismatic leaders".<ref name=Ashour/> Its political aim is to establish a [[theocratic]] state on the lines of [[Wahhabism]] like in [[Saudi Arabia]]. Saudi Arabia was found to be the main financer of the party according to the public German television news service [[ARD (broadcaster)]].<ref>Björn Blaschke: {{Cite web |url=http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/salafistenaegypten100.html |title=Ägypten |access-date=29 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126013707/http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/salafistenaegypten100.html |archive-date=26 January 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown}}, Tagesschau, ARD, 23. Januar 2012. Abgerufen am 28. Oktober 2017</ref>

In the [[2011–12 Egyptian parliamentary election|2011–12 Egypt parliamentary elections]], the [[Islamist Bloc]] led by al‑Nour party received 7,534,266 votes out of a total 27,065,135 correct votes (27.8%). The [[Islamist Bloc]], of which al-Nour was a member, gained 127 of the 498 parliamentary seats contested,<ref name=Brown/> second-place after the Muslim Brotherhood's [[Freedom and Justice Party (Egypt)|Freedom and Justice Party]]. Al‑Nour Party itself won 111 of the 127 seats.

From January 2013 the party gradually distanced itself from President [[Mohamed Morsi]]'s Brotherhood government, and came to support the military's [[2013 Egyptian coup d'état|July 2013 coup]] which overthrew Morsi.<ref name=guardian>{{cite web|author=Patrick Kingsley |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/07/egypt-salafist-al-nour-party|title=Egypt's Salafist al-Nour party wields new influence on post-Morsi coalition |work=The Guardian|date=7 July 2013|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref> A lawsuit against the party was dismissed on 22 September 2014 because the court indicated it had no jurisdiction.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/111394/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-court-says-it-has-no-power-to-dissolve-Nour-.aspx|title=Egypt court says it has no power to dissolve Nour Party|date=22 September 2014|access-date=22 September 2014|work=Ahram Online}}</ref> A case on the dissolution of the party was adjourned until 17 January 2015<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/115574.aspx|title=Cairo court adjourns case on dissolution of Islamist Nour Party|date=15 November 2014|access-date=15 November 2014|work=Ahram Online}}</ref> and further postponed until 21 February 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2015/01/17/court-postpones-dissolution-al-nour-party-21-february|title=Court postpones dissolution of Al-Nour Party to 21 February|date=17 January 2015|access-date=13 August 2015|work=Daily News Egypt}}</ref> Another court case that was brought forth to dissolve the party<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/egyptsource/political-islam-s-fate-in-egypt-lies-in-the-hands-of-the-courts|title=Political Islam's Fate in Egypt Lies in the Hands of the Courts|first=Yussef|last=Auf|date=25 November 2014|work=Atlantic Council|access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref> was dismissed after the Alexandria Urgent Matters Court ruled on 26 November 2014 that it lacked jurisdiction.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/11/26/court-claims-jurisdiction-religiously-affiliated-parties/|title=Court claims no jurisdiction over religiously affiliated parties|date=26 November 2014|work=Daily News Egypt|access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref> A lawsuit was rejected by the Parties Court and referred back to a lower court because the only entity qualified to argue for the dissolution of a party is the leader of the political parties commission.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2015/07/05/court-rejects-al-nour-partys-dissolution/|title=Court rejects Al-Nour Party's dissolution|date=5 July 2015|work=Daily News Egypt|access-date=16 July 2015}}</ref>

==History==
Al‑Nour was set up after the [[Egyptian Revolution of 2011|2011 Egyptian revolution]], when the interim military government allowed the formation of new parties, and legally recognized on 13 June.<ref name=KAS>{{cite web |title=Länderbericht Parteienmonitor Ägypten 2011 |url=http://www.kas.de/wf/doc/kas_29524-1522-1-30.pdf |publisher=[[Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung]] |language=de |page=4 |date=27 November 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015}}</ref>

It was established by one of the largest Salafist groups in Egypt, the [[Salafist Call]] (''Al-Da‘wa Al-Salafiyya''), also known as the Al-Dawaa movement. (The [[Salafi movement|Salafi philosophical movement]] has been associated with literalist, strict and puritanical approaches to Islam.)<ref>Dr [[Abdul Haqq Baker]], ''Extremists in Our Midst: Confronting Terror,'' Palgrave Macmillan, 2011</ref> The Salafi Call group started began the 1970s and was firmly established in the 1980s in [[Alexandria University]] after students refused to join the [[Muslim Brotherhood]], leading to clashes that impelled the Salafis to institutionalize their activities within the city.<ref name=jada>[http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/3171/al-nour-party Al-Nour Party] Jadaliyya. Retrieved 19 December 2013.</ref>

The Salafis in the past had refused to take part in politics because they believed that the democratic system that existed at the time was un-Islamic, though they were concerned with politics from an Islamic point of view relating to daily Egyptian life. During the revolution, they did not support the uprising because "the Americans would have ordered [[Hosni Mubarak|Mubarak]] to massacre them all", according to a party spokesman.<ref name=jada/>

After the revolution, the Salafis decided to take part in politics in order to protect the Islamic identity of Egypt, based on the fundamentals of Islam, the [[Quran]] and [[Sunnah]]. Leading Salafi preacher [[Yasser Borhamy]] switched to the political participation side after Mubarak's ouster, saying "Islam must become involved of all aspects of life, even the political, and the Islamic movement must unite".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/3185/yasser-borhami|title=Jadaliyya.com|work=Jadaliyya|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref>

Al‑Nour was recognised as an official party after it had obtained its license in June 2011, led by [[Emad Abdel Ghaffour]].<ref>[http://www.islamopediaonline.org/country-profile/egypt/muslim-political-parties/al-nour-party Al-Nour Party] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111221155300/http://www.islamopediaonline.org/country-profile/egypt/muslim-political-parties/al-nour-party |date=21 December 2011 }} [[Islamopedia Online]].</ref> However, in September 2012, Ghaffour was suspended from the party, and elections for a new party leader were expected soon after.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Salafist Nour Party head expelled by party's supreme committee|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/53912/Egypt/Politics-/Salafist-Nour-Party-head-expelled-by-partys-suprem.aspx|newspaper=Ahram Online|date=26 September 2012|access-date=26 September 2012}}</ref> He was reinstated as the head of the party following a 10-hour meeting by the party in early October 2012.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Egypt's Salafist Nour Party resolves leadership crisis: Spokesperson|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/54908/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-Salafist-Nour-Party-resolves-leadership-cri.aspx|agency=Ahram Online|date=6 October 2012|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref> Ghaffour resigned as party chairman on 29 December 2012 and in January 2013 formed the rival [[Homeland Party (Egypt)|Watan Party]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Nour's Salafist splinter group forms new party|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/61628/Egypt/Politics-/Nour%E2%80%99s-Salafist-splinter-group-formsnew-party.aspx|agency=Ahram Online|date=1 January 2012|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref>

==Political orientation==
{{Salafi}}
[[File:Abdel Moneim El Shahat.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Abdel Moneim El Shahat]], one of the leaders of the Al-Nour Party]]
Al‑Nour Party is an ultra-conservative Islamist party maintaining a strict version of Islam, known as the [[Salafi]] methodology. Salafis believe in practising Islam as it was practiced by [[Prophet#Islam|Prophet]] [[Muhammad]], his [[Sahabah|companions]], and the later generations. Their main source of governance is strictly based on the Quran and the Sunnah.<ref>{{cite web|title=Party FAQ|url=https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alnourparty.org%2Fpage%2Fanswer}}</ref>{{third-party-inline|date=January 2012}}

===Religion===
The religious foundation and structure of al-Nour party is based almost entirely on the [[Salafi]] interpretation of Islam.<ref>{{cite news|title=The rise of intolerant Salafists in Egypt|url=http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/16/husain-the-rise-of-intolerant-salafists-in-egypt/|access-date=19 December 2013|publisher=CNN}}</ref>

Al-Nour believes the principles of Islamic Sharia should be the main source of legislation. However, the party promises that it will allow Christians to have their own separate laws for their internal matters.<ref>{{cite web|title=Party Program |url=http://www.alnourparty.org/page/program_headers |access-date=17 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117055814/http://www.alnourparty.org/page/program_headers |archive-date=17 November 2011 }}</ref>{{third-party-inline|date=January 2012}}

===Israeli–Palestinian conflict===
The party has stated it is committed to the 1979 [[Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty]] as a binding international agreement and would be willing to hold negotiations with [[Israel]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/12/20/183626.html|title=Egyptian Salafi party ready to sit with Israel, says spokesman|date=20 December 2011|first=Farrag|last=Ismail|access-date=19 December 2013|publisher=[[Al-Arabiya]]}}</ref>

At the same time, al‑Nour said it seeks amendments to the agreement and opposes normalization with Israel. Specifically, an al‑Nour spokesman stated, "We call for full [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]] rights for Egypt and for our brothers in Palestine and occupied lands, and we see this as directly related to the agreement."<ref>{{cite news|title=Islamist says party committed to treaty with Israel|author=Aya Batrawy|url=http://articles.philly.com/2011-12-22/news/30547091_1_peace-treaty-israel-and-egypt-egyptian-border-guards|agency=Associated Press|date=22 December 2011|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref> Regarding normalization, an al‑Nour statement read, "The party strongly objects normalization and dialogue attempts and establishing relations with an entity [Israel] which wants to wipe off our identity, occupies our lands, imposes a siege on our brothers and strongly supports our hangers."<ref>{{cite news|title=Egypt's Islamists seek changes to Israel peace treaty|author=Roi Kais|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4166169,00.html|newspaper=YnetNews|date=24 December 2011|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref>

===Perspective on loans===
Al‑Nour Party had stated in September 2012 that it would not oppose a loan from the [[International Monetary Fund]] to the Egyptian government, although Islamic law bans the paying of interest. The party argued that the loan is vital to Egypt's economy in the current period and that there is no other alternative, citing the Islamic saying "Necessities permit what is banned".<ref>{{cite web|title=Egyptian Salafi party shows flexibility on IMF loan|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-egypt-imf-salafis-idUKBRE88P1CE20120926|work=Reuters|date=26 September 2013|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref>

However, the party had changed opinion in February 2013, saying the IMF loan agreement requires an approval from a body of senior scholars at [[Al-Azhar University]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Egypt Islamists say clerics must approve IMF loan|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-islamists-imf-idUSBRE91B1DA20130212|work=Reuters|date=12 February 2013|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref>

The party's members suggested other alternatives to foreign borrowing such as reforming subsidy system, dispensing with highly paid advisers and offering [[Sukuk]] (financial certificates) that Islamic financing experts claim will attract billions of [[Egyptian pounds|pounds]] to the country.<ref>{{cite web|title=Al Nour Party Suggests Five Alternatives To Foreign Borrowing|url=http://amwalalghad.com/en/business/banks/14671-al-nour-party-suggests-five-alternatives-to-foreign-borrowing.html|publisher=Amwal Al Ghad|date=21 February 2013|access-date=19 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220100316/http://amwalalghad.com/en/business/banks/14671-al-nour-party-suggests-five-alternatives-to-foreign-borrowing.html|archive-date=20 December 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Civil unrest==
There was violence that killed 10 people in late November 2012; Yousry Hammad, the official spokesman of the party, said he thinks that the violence could affect election plans.<ref>{{cite web|title=Egypt protesters flee security in Tahrir Square; elections to go on|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/20/world/africa/egypt-protests/index.html?hpt=hp_t1|publisher=CNN|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref>

==Election results==
The Salafi Al‑Nour reportedly did well in the election in part because of loyalty it won from voters with the many Salafi-sponsored charitable activities: help for the sick and the poor; financial assistance to widows, divorcées, and young women in need of marriage [[Wedding dress|trousseaus]]; and abundant religious instruction.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ultraconservative Islamist Party Reshapes Egypt's Politics|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/07/ultra-conservative-islamist-party-reshapes-egypt-s-politics.html|work=Daily Beast|date=8 December 2011|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref>

==2012 presidential election==
[[Hazem Salah Abu Ismail]], who while not officially affiliated with the party was considered to be the candidate of the Salafi movement, was disqualified to run in the [[2012 Egyptian presidential election|2012 presidential election]]. Without any clear Salafi candidate, the al-Nour Party settled on moderate Islamist [[Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh]] on 28 April 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/nour-party-endorses-abouel-fotouh-president |title=Nour Party endorses Abouel Fotouh for President |author=Al-Masry Al-Youm |date=27 April 2012 |publisher=[[Al-masry Al-youm]] |access-date=19 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429061217/http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/nour-party-endorses-abouel-fotouh-president |archive-date=29 April 2012 }}</ref> However, the party declared its support for Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohamed Morsi in the second and final election round between Morsi and Ahmed Shafeek, the last prime minister appointed by Mubarak.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/egypt-will-choose-morsi-or-shafiq.aspx?pageID=238&nID=21822&NewsCatID=352|title=Egypt will choose Morsi or Shafiq|author=Al-Masry Al-Youm|date=29 May 2012|work=Hürriyet Daily News|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref>

==2012–2013 Egyptian protests==
Although initially a political ally of the MB's Freedom and Justice Party, the al-Nour Party soon came to join the mainly secular opposition, and were an active force in the [[2012–13 Egyptian protests]] that resulted in the [[2013 Egyptian coup d'état]] and consequent ouster of President Morsi.<ref name=guardian/>

Following what al-Nour described as a "massacre" on the dawn of 8 July, when pro-Morsi demonstrators were attacked and at least 54 were left dead,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/08/at-least-5-dead-in-new-egypt-clashes/ |title=At least 54 killed in clashes at Cairo Republican Guard headquarters |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=2013-07-08 |access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref> al-Nour in protest withdrew from talks to choose an interim prime minister.<ref name=BBC8July>{{cite web|author=Ahmed Maher |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23222546 |title=Egypt unrest: Tensions soar amid Cairo killings |work=BBC News |date=2013-07-08 |access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref> Nevertheless, al-Nour has not expressed support for the return of Mohamed Morsi to power.<ref name=BBC8July/> The party has advised the interim government on ministerial candidates.<ref>{{cite news|title=El-Beblawi continues to meet ministerial candidates|url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2013/07/15/el-beblawi-continues-to-meet-ministerial-candidates/|access-date=19 December 2013|work=Daily News Egypt|date=15 July 2013}}</ref> The al-Nour Party has supported the draft constitution that will be voted on in the [[2014 Egyptian constitutional referendum|2014 constitutional referendum]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Nour says will back Egypt draft constitution|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/12/nour-says-will-back-egypt-draft-constitution-201312416533335612.html|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=4 December 2013|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref>

== Lawsuit against Islamic parties ==
The al-Nour Party is one of the eleven [[Islamic party|Islamic parties]] targeted by a lawsuit in November 2014, when an organization named ''Popular Front for opposing the Brotherhoodization of Egypt'' sought to dissolve all political parties established "on a religious basis."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/egyptsource/political-islam-s-fate-in-egypt-lies-in-the-hands-of-the-courts |title=Political Islam's Fate in Egypt Lies in the Hands of the Courts |first=Yussef |last=Auf |publisher=[[Atlantic Council]] |date=25 November 2014 |access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref> The Alexandria Urgent Matters Court however ruled on 26 November 2014 that it lacked jurisdiction.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/11/26/court-claims-jurisdiction-religiously-affiliated-parties/|title=Court claims no jurisdiction over religiously affiliated parties|date=26 November 2014|work=[[Daily News Egypt]]|access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of political parties in Egypt]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15899539 ''BBC'' profile]
{{Egyptian political parties}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nour Party}}
[[Category:2011 establishments in Egypt]]
[[Category:2013 Egyptian coup d'état]]
[[Category:Conservative parties in Egypt]]
[[Category:Far-right political parties]]
[[Category:Islamic political parties in Egypt]]
[[Category:Organisations of the Egyptian Crisis (2011–2014)]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 2011]]
[[Category:Political parties in Egypt]]
[[Category:Salafi groups]]
[[Category:Social conservative parties]]
[[Category:Sunni Islamic political parties]]

Al-Nour Party - Revision history

Delinker at 05:26, 26 July 2023